The service layer explained: maintaining control over your recruitment tech

During the webinar ‘Flexbureau 4.0 in practice’ by Werf& and FlexNieuws, labor market expert Wim Davidse, Joris Raaijmakers (CEO of JAM), and Sepp Haans (digital strategist at Freshheads) discussed a way to prevent that problem: working with a service layer. But what exactly is that?

The service layer: a central hub

A service layer is a technical layer between systems. Instead of applications communicating directly with each other, they do so via this central layer. According to Sepp Haans, this makes a big difference: “You only need to build integrations once. If you switch systems later, you don't have to reconnect everything.” During the webinar, Wim Davidse visualized it as a kind of large power strip: “The service layer is essentially one point where you connect different systems.”

Why a service layer is interesting for staffing agencies

A service layer offers advantages especially for agencies working with multiple systems. The benefits:

1. More flexibility in your technology choices: You don’t connect systems directly to each other, but to one central layer. The service layer. This allows you to switch tools more easily without having to redesign your entire system landscape.

2. More control over data: Data is becoming increasingly important for staffing agencies. Candidate profiles, resumes, and job data form the basis of recruitment. By letting systems communicate via a service layer, that data remains more manageable and owned by your organization. “You want profiles and information to remain yours so you can optimize your strategy based on that,” says Sepp Haans.

3. Room to experiment with new technology: New tools are constantly emerging. With a service layer, you can more easily experiment with such innovations. For example, you can test an AI matching tool or chatbot without having to adjust your existing systems. If a tool doesn’t work, you can easily disconnect it again.

Especially relevant with a best-of-breed approach

A service layer is most interesting for agencies that choose a best-of-breed approach: a combination of specialized tools instead of one total solution from one provider. During the webinar, Joris, CEO of JAM, explained why they chose that: “The idea that we had to hand everything over to one supplier felt too constricting. With best-of-breed, we can decide where we want to differentiate ourselves.”

But such an approach only works if the technology is well organized. A service layer helps to maintain that overview.

Technology should work for you

Not every staffing agency immediately needs a service layer. For smaller organizations, an integrated total solution can work just fine. But as organizations grow and use more systems, it becomes increasingly important to keep control over the digital landscape. As Sepp Haans summarized it during the webinar: “Technology should work for your organization. Not the other way around.” A service layer is one way to make that possible.